Why you should Visit to Nepal Now

To acquire solid understanding about what the real situation on the ground is, you have to assess it for yourself. Avery Stonich, a Colorado based freelance writer, visited Nepal after the earthquake to learn about the actual scenario of the country. After spending quality time in Nepal, she came back home wondering why people are still hesitant to visit this beautiful country. Stonic writes : “If ever there were a time to visit Nepal, it’s now.”

Stonich had a rough start in Kathmandu. Misplaced luggage after an exhausting 35 hours transit nearly gave her a panic attack. Losing your luggage while traveling alone is probably the worst thing that can happen to anyone, but the nightmarish lost-luggage tale happens quite a lot. An ill fitting off-brand trekking pants and a bright blue tourist T-shirt that screamed ANNAPURNA BASE CAMP that she bought in Thamel was her attire for the following day.

The yearning for something better keeps us driven and unsatisfied at the same time. Settling for the best is not feasible in every scenario and at times, resilience is essential. While Stonich was still grumpy about her lost luggage, she came across a group of people living under dusty tents with only the clothes on their back. Despite of facing the worst nightmare, those people were still happy and hopeful. Well, there are moments in life which makes you realize that your problems are not so big after all.

Stonich visited Kopan monastery, Bhaktapur and Bouddhanath the following day. Describing her visit to Bouddhanath, she writes: “We continue on to Boudhanath, the holiest Tibetan Buddhist temple outside Tibet, whose prominent golden stupa had cracked during the earthquake and is being rebuilt. Climbing worn stone stairs to a rooftop deck overlooking the temple, we pass a clutch of chanting Buddhists, who seem unfazed by the damage. Life goes on. Devotion persists. Stupas are still sacred, even if they are imperfect.”

Stonich and her team headed to Pokhara , an adventure destination and gateway to the famed Annapurna trekking circuit. Despite of being wholly unharmed by the quake, the lake city was quieter than usual and the hotel owners were sitting idly with no one to greet.

“I did paragliding in Pokhara, soaring on pockets of wind over the Himalayas. Back on the ground, my instructor tells me business has been down since the earthquakes. I ask if he’s had to consider seeking out other work. “I like to fly,” he says with a smile, grateful to have a customer for the day. “This is my dream.” ,” writes Stonich.

Her next destination was Jomsom, Mustang. Stonich inquired about life post the earthquake with an elderly man she met at Mustang. To which he answered, “This whole area has been empty since then. I’ve lost a lot of business, but I’m positive and hopeful that one day guests will return,” he says, then quickly adds: “I’m just happy me and my family are safe, and I’m very sad for those who died.”

On the 6th day of her trip to Nepal, just when she had stopped worrying about her luggage, she got her luggage back. But the irony is that she didn’t know what to do with it anymore. “I have learned to live with what I have. Nepal is rubbing off on me,” writes Stonich.

This post has been excerpted from the original blog post up on intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com. Click below to read the full post

http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/2016/02/18/why-now-is-the-time-to-visit-nepal/